P-51D - Looking for color/number of paint for static model

[TIGERHD1]

HI! Bought a Guillow's kit about 15 or so years ago along with a Spitfire kit...finished the Spitfire (FINALLY! LOL) three or four years ago, and am almost to the point of painting the P-51. Curious if anyone has suggestions for the silver / chrome/ aluminum paints to use on this. Silver looks to be too shiny as is chrome, a gray seems out of the question, the aluminum paints I find seem to be grayish in color....the aircraft paint scheme I am going with will be colors the D day invasion were...mostly silver or aluminum (as the aircraft were bare aluminum at the time as far as I know) with the white and black stripes.
Having a time deciding what to go with...any ideas? Thanks!

[Mitch]

Hello Tiger,

The aluminum finish on many WW II planes is always the most difficult to duplicate weather a flying model, static, or even plastic. On my current build of the P-38 I used silver paper for the skin... I know you are beyond that... I found Testor's Spay Enamel '1246 Metallic Silver' to be a good match for that. I think the 3 oz. can will be sufficient for a few coats on the 400 series Mustang. I used the paint for the plastic parts on my model. For P-51's I have built I used the Silver paper from EasyBuiltModels and paint the cowling and spinner in another color I choose!

Good Luck and let's see your build! Mitch

PS: I believe towards the end of the war our planes were not painted as paint is for camouflage and defense...we were on the attack and without the weight of the paint our planes would be even faster than if they were painted! Polished Aluminum is what they were. D-day invasion strips were painted on our planes for the invasion as there were so many different types of airplanes, that was for quick identification!

[TIGERHD1]

Thanks Mitch! I have just finished skinning the fuselage wings and tail feathers with sheet balsa, so am not really beyond that point yet. I bought a 3oz can of Aluminum Plate - Flat 1451 so I may have to return it and purchase what you mentioned. I emailed Testors and the reply said they did not believe it would adhere to basla...so was not sure what to do. My first balsa build was the Spitfire, and it doesn't look to bad in my humble opinion....so trying to build this one at least a little better!!
Thanks for you input, if any one else has input I would be more than happy to read it!

[Mitch]

Just thought of something else since you are new. You can not just paint the paper. Here is what I would do. Cover the model with the silkspan paper from the kit. I like that paper. Shrink with water spray. you will still NEED to dope the paper to seal it. SIG makes dope, but now I use Top Flite Lustre Kote "crystal clear" TOPR 7501. It comes in a 10 oz can and that will be enough for me for 3 flying models. For static I would put on MORE dope. So for you 2 models. THEN when the paper is really sealed well ... and only then you can paint the paper!

Here are some pictures for your guidance:

My Red Tail P-51... after her fateful and near catastrophic crash in Denver.

Silver paper, red paper and Olive Green paper all from EasybuiltModels

Some Mustangs in the repair shop:

Silver paper from EasyBuiltModels

My latest 400 FW 190:

covered with Guillow's paper and 2 light coats and 1 heavy coat of Lustre Kote spray... I plan to paint this model with my Paasche Airbrush.

Here is my P-38:

covered with silver paper and plastic parts painted with Testor's 1246 Metallic Silver... The paper is shrunk with water but no dope yet, It will get more of a shine with dope.

I use colored paper for most of my builds in the past few years. I even create the 2 tone camo on the Spitfire...

Don't mean to overwhelm you but I feel a picture is worth a thousand words! Hope the pictures give you an idea of what you need to do and what the paint and paper look like!

Mitch

[TIGERHD1]

Hey, thanks for the pictures, Mitch! Nice builds!! I am considering the silver paper however, I think I may as well use the paper that came with the kit....it was relatively easy to work with when I did the Spitfire, only a few minor wrinkles even for the first time ever. When I work on the aircraft again, I need to check the leftover dope from when I did the Spitfire to see if it is still good....can has been sealed tightly, so I don't think it would have gone bad. Would not mind trying the silver paper, just find it difficult to justify the expense, no matter how little, at this time and having the silkspan paper not doing anything when I have it on hand. Looks interesting to use though....once it is on and doped, do you paint it afterwards, or does it eliminate having to paint? I assume that one would not have to paint, as by your photo.
I agree with what you say, pictures are worth a thousand words....now I see what that color looks like actually on the aircraft, not just a little dot on a can...LOL! Also what the silver paper looks like, installed! Thank you for posting them!
It is dark here now, maybe tomorrow I will get a few pictures of the Spitfire up here so you can see it....it is out in my work shed, no light in it yet.

[Mitch]

I know what you mean about the extra expense... that was one reason why I used the Guillow paper on my Focke-Wulf. I have a lot of Guillow paper on hand. However that will end up being more expensive since I will need to paint the model. But I have a lot of model paint on hand also. The BIG concern for me is WEIGHT since I fly my models with the rubber band motor! As you say there is NO paint on my models (not on the paper) The colored paper comes in about 28 colors so I have most of those.

Be Aware : Silver Paper is a bit more expensive, a bit heavier and it is harder to work with. Basically it is painted paper... therefore It does not take water mist so well. I get it on as tight as I can. Let the glue dry well, then really soak it with water to get it to shrink. I really like the Silkspan Guillow paper, I think it is very easy to work with.


I leave you with a picture I found of my Spitfire, I was making some modifications to...


Covered entire model with Sand colored paper, then covered second layer with camo design in Olive Drab! I was modifying the rear peg location... I really need to build a new Spitfire and make changes as this model flies, but only briefly... I want better times!

Have Fun, Mitch

PS: As I said I build to fly... that FW as you see it weighs just 76 grams and most of that weight is in the nose... That model is balanced. I want to fly it first, then I will paint it and hope she does not gain much weight! You can see how I built that model under the post '2015 Challenge, FW-190, Red 13'

[TIGERHD1]

I understand what you mean about the concern of weight with a flying model. Someday I will step up to that.....maybe. Very nice job on that Spitfire...I remember those plans next to it! LOL! A little later on will get pics up of the Spitfire I did once I get fully awake and have more coffee. Thanks for showing me your works and the information...it truly helps!

[TIGERHD1]

Here are a few pics of the Spit...well...maybe not...not sure how to attach...is there size limit? Any limits? Trying to attach, it just says invalid...is a jpeg file... not sure why it will not pick it up....sorry. Will do some more messing around to see if I can get it to accept.

[cliffm]

If you go to a post on Sep 03 2011 called hi-ho silver it shows an inexspensive answer to your quest for silver.

[NcGunny]

The best silver I have found for P51 is a craft acrylic from Apple Barrel. I mix up the silver for my airbrush apprx. 50/50 with oaint and windshield fluid. Then add 3 eye dropper dots of a light grey. Mix and spray. Total cost for maybe 10 *P51's 3 buxs.I sprayed a sheet and took with me to a NY airshow last year. Match was dead on.

[Mitch]

Tiger,

I use photobucket for posting pictures. If that is what you use, then click on the photo, go to 'share' then go to 'photo links' then there are 4 choices...use 'IMG'. There may be others ways but once you have your free photobucket account it is easy.

Mitch

[TIGERHD1]

You can see the ugly bottom here




The wind picked up...LOL...had to catch the model before it went off the table!









The elevator warped on me

[Mitch]

NICE WORK... I love the 3 blade prop! And the landing gear! ... ALL the stuff I don't do! Great Job!

If you don't know these 400 series and 1000 series and the 2000 Lightning are ALL 1/16 scale. The 1000 series pilot with a bit of work looks great in the cockpit of any of these planes! You can buy the pilot from Guillow's for about 2.00. I have several of them plus the Pilot for the Stearman is the same scale also!

Mitch

[TIGERHD1]

Thanks! I want to paint yellow tips on the prop, again cannot justify (even a couple dollars for a small bottle) the cost for three tips being painted....unless I build more models...maybe eventually I will come across something I can use for that. Took me a while to find a prop with the as close to correct dimensions for this scale. Both the landing gear (especially the tail gear build) and prop attachment so that it would spin I had to spend some thought and time on. The tail gear, took some wire (of course) and bent to shape, put a plastic tube (like from a fish tank air line) on it and the main gear, found a rubber grommet type thing (for lack of knowing exactly what it was) that kind of looked to be the right size for the tail gear tire and...a long time ago, I saved some extra "washers" from popping a huge number of cherry rivets at a place I worked at. Those I used for (and will use for the P-51) keeping the wheels on and in place on the wire struts...and a different size to make the "separation" of the struts on the main gear.
For the prop, I had to drill a larger hole through the prop I bought to fit a machine screw through (a tight fit), and used the black piece off the rubber band prop Guillows provided,removing the little nipple at the end and flattening the rounded tip,also drilling a hole through that to fit a piece of metal tube I cut that was just ever so slightly larger than the screw, but fit tightly through the black plastic piece to stay stationary. Then put it all together,put a small nut and washer on the end of the screw under the spinner and a washer under the head of the screw, adjusting the tightness / looseness so that the prop would spin easily (with the screw turning inside the metal tube), and glued the black piece of plastic into the cowl. Whew...It worked!
I have a different type of prop for the P-51, not sure how this one is going to go on yet, pre painted, and four pieces, prop, spinner, a piece that the spinner goes on and a piece that goes behind the prop, like a sandwich type that the prop is in the middle...a small M3 screw holds it all together, had to buy that at hardware store, because this would originally attach to an engine ...but...I need a longer one ...actually the prop set-up is for an FMS model, length is very slightly smaller than scale, I think by a little less than a quarter inch (whereas the length for the Spit prop was very slightly larger, same measurement) but the way it ...different set up, so I need to think about how to use same idea in general. The P 51 will be some work......

[TIGERHD1]

Thank you cliffm and NcGunny for your comments and ideas. That is what I am looking for, ideas and stuff to look at from others to complete this project! Very much appreciated!